Back To Where It All Began
by jennmor2118
Summary: Okay, so I’m a bad liar. I can’t just let it go. I mean, it’s Edward we’re talking about. The love of my life. I’m pretty sure there will never be a day that I don’t love him. Just thinking about it depresses me. AU and ALL HUMAN Edward/Bella
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! My friend Morgan and I have decided to start co-writing this story. So I am reposting the first two chapters under this name. Morgan and I will switch off chapters. Hope you guys like it!**

**And before you judge on just this chapter alone, please keep in mind that the next chapter will jump ahead three years in the future when Bella and Alice are in college at USC and the other Twilight characters will be introduced. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters!**

EPOV

"Edward, how could you do this?" Alice asked me. I rolled my eyes, not wanting to talk about this and lose my buzz. It was finally starting to get good.

"Alice, please; stop talking and go get drunk!" I laughed, trying to distract her.

"No Edward, I'm not going to stop talking. Not until you tell me what propelled you to end it with Bella. I just don't get it. And she won't talk to me at all. She's been locked in her room for the past two days!"

"Alice, you wouldn't understand; trust me," I mumbled, walking past her and into the backyard of whoever's house we were at. It was another high school party the weekend before graduation.

"Try me Eddie," she challenged, knowing I hated it when she called me Eddie. It seemed so juvenile.

"It's complicated Brandon. Now please, just drop it!" I roared, tired of this discussion already. Christ I was so ready to get out of this god forsaken town. Forks, Washington is like hell, just with colder temperatures. And who names a town Forks anyway? I wonder if there's a town in the South named Spoons. Now that would be funny!

"Edward! I'm not playing. Tell me right now what you did to Bella or I will make you regret ever walking on this earth!" she threatened. Alice and I have been best friends since we were fourteen when we met in homeroom. All homerooms were alphabetized within your grade. So Alice Brandon and Edward Cullen were in the same homeroom. In a school as small as Forks High, there weren't very many people in that homeroom. So naturally, we were drawn to each other. She claims it was my outcast personality. I claim it was her flashy, annoyingly hyper personality. Either way, we've been best friends since. And that meant knowing better than to tell her no when she threatens you. It's just, I don't know if I could tell her what happened. Sure, we're best friends, but so are her and Bella. Closer than me and Alice. Breaking the news to Alice will be almost as bad as breaking up with Bella.

"Alice, I'm not saying anything. You wanna know? Go ask Swan. I'm done with this conversation," I told her. I lit a cigarette and walked away from her, heading to my car. I've had enough of underage drinking for one night. I'm sure Alice is still there whining to one of those stupid girls they were friends with about me. Wondering why I ended it with Bella. They're no better than my parents when it comes to gossip and getting in other people's business. Christ, my father pisses me off. He just had to start in on me the other day after catching me sneaking in from Bella's house.

"_Edward! It's four in the morning! Where the hell have you been?" my father, Carlisle Cullen, shouted as I tried to sneak in the front door. I just shrugged my shoulders at him, heading for the stairs when he grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me back._

"_Edward, this isn't healthy. You're this close to not graduating and instead of studying for your finals like you should be, you're sneaking over to Bella's house? What is wrong with you?" he demanded._

"_Dad, it's not a big deal. I can pull A's on my finals like nothing. Don't worry."_

"_Don't tell me not to worry Edward. I've watched you and Bella do this for too long now. The first two years of high school were fine because you were just friends. But once you two got together, it was all downhill from there. It's like you can't see anything other than Bella. Do you even realize that?"_

"_So what? What's the big deal? So I like spending a lot of time with my girlfriend. Why do you even care? You've never cared this much before!" I shot at him. _

"_And what about next year? What are you going to do when Bella goes off to USC next fall and you go to UW? How will you handle that? Are you going to fail out of your classes because you can't be away from her and ruin everything we have worked for since you were little?"_

And that was the beginning of the end for Bella and me. I'm sure it seemed so out of the blue. But it couldn't be helped. I pulled onto my street, glancing at Bella's house across the street from mine. That was the hardest part about this break up. Living across the street from her, knowing I couldn't do anything. I parked my car in the driveway and trudged to the garage for my lawn chair and stash of beer in the fridge in there. Taking the chair and the twelve pack, I walked into the middle of the cul-de-sac of my street and took a seat.

All throughout high school, this is what Alice, Bella, and I did on weekends. We gave up on regular high school parties where Mike Newton would get so wasted, he would start grinding up on Lauren instead of his girlfriend, Jessica. And then we would have to watch as Jessica would slap him across the face and then watch when Mike would throw up on her shoes. It happened almost every time. You'd think the girl would get smart and find a new boyfriend!

Anyway, every Friday and Saturday night, we would sit out on our lawn chairs, drink beer that the girls didn't even like but it was the only alcohol I could get with my fake ID from the corner gas station, and watch the nights go by. It was also the place we solved all our problems. Anytime something big would happen, or something heartbreaking, or even if one of us failed a test, we would lug the lawn chairs out from my garage along with the beer and sit out under the stars until whatever problem was solved.

So here I am, sitting in the cul-de-sac, or "the sac" as we always called it, trying to solve my problems. I was half expecting Alice and Bella to climb out Bella's bedroom window and tip-toe past her mom's bedroom window before breaking into a sprint to meet me like they always used to. Instead, I leaned back in my chair and sipped at my beer, watched the stars, and listened to the silence.

BPOV

"Bella, you still up?" I heard Alice ask from outside my room. Our parents were best friends growing up in Phoenix, so when my parents decided to move back to my dad's hometown the summer before freshman year of high school, Alice convinced her parents to let her move with us. She's been living with us ever since.

"Bella, can we talk?" she asked, poking her head through my door. I raised one hand from where I was and waved her in. This is the Alice that kind of got on my nerves. Party Alice I can take. Shopping Alice doesn't bother me that much anymore. Hyper, bouncy Alice is actually kind of funny. But overly concerned sympathy Alice gets on my nerves.

She took a seat at the edge of my bed and uncurled my legs from the fetal position I was lying in. I was kind of thankful for that, my legs were starting to cramp up.

"Bells, I saw Edward at the party tonight," she whispered. Why she was whispering was beyond me. She knew my parents were heavy sleepers. It's not like her talking at normal volume would wake them. Hell, they never even woke up when we would come stumbling in from the cul-de-sac at two in the morning every weekend. And drunken Alice is even louder than hyper, bouncy Alice.

"What's your point?"

"He wouldn't talk to me. He wouldn't tell me what happened. So I'm gonna need you to tell me. Tonight," she said. I rolled my eyes. I didn't want to talk about him or what he said to me when he broke up with me. How many times do I have to tell her that?

"Alice, please just drop it. I don't want to talk about it. Okay?" I pleaded. She just nodded her head at me. I'm guessing the pitiful look in my eyes convinced her to leave me alone. There was just too much to say and I wasn't sure I could say it all. It was just better to leave it alone. Let it go.

Okay, so I'm a bad liar. I can't just let it go. I mean, it's Edward we're talking about. The love of my life. I'm pretty sure there will never be a day that I don't love him. Just thinking about it depresses me. I'm so glad it's almost graduation. That means just another two months before Alice and I are out of here. On our way to the University of Southern California. USC. I can't wait. Alice is so excited to decorate our dorm room we're sharing.

All I have to do is survive the next two months without running into Edward. Easy right?

APOV

This is really sad. It's my last night in Forks. Tomorrow morning, Bella and I are making the drive to California in my beat up old Honda that I bought with the money I made from working all throughout high school. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited as hell to go to Cali. I can't wait. But it's kind of bittersweet. Ya know? I moved to Forks with Bella, Charlie, and Renee when I was fourteen right before our freshman year. Bella and I grew up together in Phoenix. We lived next door to each other since we were five. I'm pretty sure we're closer than biological sisters can be. So when Charlie and Renee announced that they were moving back to Charlie's hometown of Forks, Washington, Bella and I convinced our parents that I had to go with them. Something about us not being able to live without each other. I still speak to my parents at least once a week. They still send money to Charlie and Renee to help with the general cost of having another teenager in their house. I just couldn't be without my Bells.

So tonight, our last night in town, I knew what we had to do. And I also knew she wasn't going to like it. I glanced out the window and looked down the street to see it deserted. Perfect!

"Hey Bells, what do you say to one more night in the sac?" I asked, glancing at her lying on her bed once again. That's all she did this summer besides one or two shopping trips with me in Port Angeles and pack for tomorrow.

"No," she mumbled. I grabbed her guitar that she never plays anymore and yanked her off the bed.

"Come on Bella. He's not down there. Just one more night," I begged. She rolled her eyes but still slipped her slip on Vans on that I hated and opened her bedroom window. Thankfully we live in a one story house so I don't have to throw the guitar to the ground. She slid out of her room and waited for me to hand her the guitar. Once she had it safely in her hands, I climbed out of the room. We snuck quietly past Charlie and Renee's bedroom and then broke into a run for the sac. Our house is about three houses down from the cul-de-sac. Once we reached it, she stood in the middle of the road while I crept as quietly as I could into Edward's garage. I grabbed two lawn chairs and a six pack of beer out of the fridge and then walked back to the street.

"You sure he's not here?" Bella asked quietly.

"Yeah. His car wasn't in the garage!" I lied. It so was! I hoped he would hear us and come spend one more night with us before we left. We took our seats in the middle of the sac and popped open a beer each. Taking that first sip always made me cringe. But after that it wasn't so bad. I reached over to Bella's lap and grabbed the guitar from her. She was the better player, but she had taught me a few songs on it. I strummed along, playing the tune to "Bend and Break," by Keane. Bella bobbed her head along with it as I heard those quiet footsteps come from behind me. A smile slowly made its way to my face. I could hear the third lawn chair scraping against the ground. I know Bella heard it too but she hadn't made a move, just tensed in her seat.

"Breathe Bells, it's okay," I whispered to her. Edward appeared at that moment, setting his lawn chair next to me, farther away from Bella and didn't say a word, just grabbed a beer from the six pack and popped it open. None of us said a word. I don't think we really needed to. We all knew what tonight was. Despite whatever happened between Edward and Bella two months ago, this was goodbye. Goodbye to a friendship that lasted a lot of things. Fighting parents, water balloon fights during the summers, weekend nights in the sac, tagging each other's car windows to see who could write the best messages, sing-a-longs in the sac while Bella played guitar. I just hope I don't cry. They always make fun of me when I cry.

I started strumming the guitar to a different tune; Jimmy Eat World's "Hear You Me." The three of us have always been fans of Jimmy Eat World. Especially this song. As I got to the first verse, I could hear Bella softly start singing the lyrics.

There's no one in town I know  
You gave us some place to go.  
I never said thank you for that.  
I thought I might get one more chance.  
What would you think of me now,  
so lucky, so strong, so proud?  
I never said thank you for that,  
now I'll never have a chance.

I've always loved her voice. She just had this raw sound that I found intriguing. Before I knew it, I joined her in the next part.

May angels lead you in.  
Hear you me my friends.  
On sleepless roads the sleepless go.  
May angels lead you in.  
So what would you think of me now,  
so lucky, so strong, so proud?  
I never said thank you for that,  
now I'll never have a chance.  
May angels lead you in.  
Hear you me my friends.  
On sleepless roads the sleepless go.  
May angels lead you in.  
May angels lead you in.  
May angels lead you in.

I don't know if it was because it was our last night in town or what, but I don't think I've ever heard Bella and I sing with such raw emotion before. As we started the next verse of the song, Edward chimed in from his spot next to me.

And if you were with me tonight,  
I'd sing to you just one more time.  
A song for a heart so big,  
god wouldn't let it live.  
May angels lead you in.  
Hear you me my friends.  
On sleepless roads the sleepless go.  
May angels lead you in.  
May angels lead you in.  
Hear you me my friends.

I almost didn't catch the sadness in his voice. He was good at hiding it. The last few lines we kept the same as we always did, Bella ending it for us.

On sleepless roads the sleepless go.  
May angels lead you in.  
May angels lead you in.

Anytime we sang that song together, Bella always ended it by herself. I'm not sure why we did that. It was just one of those things that was.

"That was good," I commented, glancing back and forth from Bella to Edward. Edward just nodded his head and Bella took another sip of her beer. I laid the guitar on the ground gently and settled back in my chair to look at the stars like we always did.

"Yall leaving tomorrow?" Edward asked quietly. I nodded my head and glanced at Bella. She didn't move.

"Me too. Headed to Seattle."

"I know," I whispered, sadness dripping in my voice.

"I'm gonna miss you guys," he said. Bella didn't look at him, just stood from her chair and started walking back to her house. I shook my head, this was probably a bad idea.

"I'm gonna miss you too. Even if you were Doucheward this summer instead of our loveable Edward!" I laughed quietly. He just shook his head at me. He always hated the little changes I made to his name when he was being stupid. Doucheward is just one of many.

"I love you Alice," he chuckled, leaning over to hug me sideways.

"I love you too Jerkward!" I replied, earning another laugh from him.

"Thanks. Well, I should probably get inside. Early start tomorrow and all," he said, trailing off on the last words.

"Yeah, me too. So, I guess this is it huh?"

"No, this is just the beginning! This isn't goodbye Alice. It's just I'll be seein ya!" he smiled. I stood from my chair at the same time he did and hugged him tightly.

"Okay, I'll be seein ya Dickward!" I whispered in his ear, earning a pinch on my shoulder from him. And that was it. He let me go, grabbed the three chairs and the three left over beers and walked away. I watched him walk up his driveway and into his garage before heading back to my house. Right before I climbed back into Bella's window, I glanced at the sac. That was one place I would miss.


	2. Sporks, Music, and Boobs

**A/N: Hey there! Here's the second chapter! I hope to have the third chapter up by next week. And then Morgan will post the fourth after that!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I just like playing around with the characters!!**

Three Years Later

BPOV

"Alice Brandon! I swear, if you don't get in here and help us, I am going to chop up all your credit cards and mail them back to your father!" I screamed, blowing hair out of my face, almost dropping my side of the couch I was holding.

"Bella Swan! You do it and I'll stab you in the eyeball with a spork!" she yelled back, running into the room to grab the end of the couch I was holding to help me.

"Spork? Really Brandon?" the other person asked with a laugh.

"Yes, a spork! It'll hurt worse than a fork because it'll take longer to go in! And I don't know why you were so desperate for my help Bells, it looks like you two got it! I could be doing more meaningful things, like decorating the rest of the place while yall move the furniture in!" she giggled.

We've been living in LA for three years now, still attending USC. It is now the summer before our senior year of college and we are finally moving off campus! Alice and I, along with our other roommate, found a great rent house in a neighborhood known for college kids to live in. It's a one story house, four bedrooms, huge kitchen, big walk-in closets (that Alice loves!), a pool in the backyard, and a two car garage. The best part about the house, the part that Alice and I love, is that it's smack in the middle of a cul-de-sac! Cheers to nights in the sac again!!

"Alice, this is not going to be like freshman year again when we moved to Forks! I am not going to do all the moving and let you sit around looking pretty!" I groaned trying to shove the couch into the spot I wanted it. Our roommate just stood back and laughed at our bickering.

"Aw, you think I'm pretty?" Alice joked. I rolled my eyes, sighed deeply, and kept shoving the couch, muttering obscenities under my breath.

"Damn Izzy! You just said words I don't think a sailor even knows!" our roommate said, making fun of my dirty mouth and using the nickname he gave me three years ago.

"Suck it Emmett McCarty! You better get your ass outside and get a few more boxes. Put those muscles to work or I'll stab you in the eye with a spork too!" I shouted playfully.

"You mean after Alice stabs you in the eye? How are you gonna be able to see well enough to do it?"

"Em! Now!" I screamed, chasing him out the front door and down the driveway to the moving van.

Alice and I met Emmett our freshman year at USC. Our dorm was a coed dorm, only two stories. Emmett had a single and was our suitemate. We shared a bathroom with him for three years. Normally, they don't put guys and girls as suitemates. But there was some kind of mix up and we all assured the RA that it wasn't a big deal. That first semester was kind of awkward sharing a bathroom with a boy. Alice didn't mind it much. She was always very easy going like that. I've always been more shy.

But thanks to Emmett, I was able to break out of that shell. He was like the big man on campus. The ladies man. He used to take me and Alice to all kinds of parties, on campus and off campus. He helped me become the outgoing, fun person I am now. At least I think I am.

EPOV

"Edward!" I heard her shout from her room. I rolled my eyes and lit a cigarette as I crossed the hall to see what she wanted.

"What?" I muttered, blowing a stream of smoke at her. She was lying on her bed in a very suggestive manner, wearing some kind of lingerie that should have made me want her if I wasn't so oblivious.

"Jasper's not home. You wanna do it?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

I've been living with Rosalie and Jasper Hale since I moved away from Forks. Jasper was my roommate in the dorms my first year at UW. Our sophomore year we moved out and into a pimp apartment with his twin, Rosalie. Twin my ass, they look nothing alike. He's tall and lanky with curly blonde hair and weird as fuck. She's tall, curvy, hot as hell, and long wavy blonde hair. We started sleeping together that semester we moved into the apartment. I didn't even mean to sleep with her the first time. I was drunk, she was drunk, we were the only ones at the apartment not passed out. It sounded like a good idea at the time. Now, I'm not so sure. We're not together, half the time I'm not sure if we even like each other. But get a few drinks in us or just get us incredibly bored, and off come the clothes. Jasper hates it. He thinks it's gross. Most of the time I like to do it when he's home just to piss him off. Pissed of Jasper is kinda funny.

"I'm not in the mood," I told her, walking out of her room and into the kitchen in search of alcohol to drown myself in. I was just pouring myself a tall glass of scotch when she walked into the kitchen, wrapping her arms around my waist, making sure to press her boobs against my back.

"I said I'm not in the mood Rose, go away," I mumbled, taking a big gulp of scotch, hoping she would get the hint. She gets pushy sometimes when she's horny and it's annoying as hell.

"Edward, come on, you know you want it," she whispered in my ear, trying to sound seductive. She just sounded dumb.

"Damn it Rose! Put some fucking clothes on! I don't want to see your boobs all over my best friend!" Jasper shouted as he walked in the back door and saw her up against me. Thank you Jasper.

"Fuck you Jazz. Maybe if you got laid every once in a while, you might be nicer!" she snarled, stomping to her room.

"Thanks man," I said, handing him the bottle of scotch so he could pour himself a glass.

"Don't thank me. Just quit fucking my sister," he ordered, taking my cigarette from my hand and taking a drag before handing it back.

"Hey Eddie," we heard Rose call from the hallway.

"Don't call me that," I growled, not noticing the picture frame in her hand.

"Sorry, Edward, so are you ever gonna tell us who these girls are?" she asked, holding the picture in front of my face. I snatched it from her hand.

"What the fuck were you doing in my room?"

"I went to borrow a shirt, not the point. You've had that picture on your dresser for like three years now. And every time we say something about it, you get all depressed and drink yourself into oblivion. So, since we just moved and are starting a new life here in the glorious Los Angeles, why don't you start over by telling us who they are?" I was about ready to smack the bitch for being so nosy.

"Go dunk yourself in the pool Rose, I'm not talking about it," I said, lighting another cigarette and walking into the backyard. It might be hot as crap during the day here in LA, but nights are actually pretty nice. Right now, it's probably like in the 70s.

"My guess is he had a threesome with them back in Forks and misses it," Rose guessed with a laugh, joining me in the backyard. Jasper walked out after her and sat down on the ground, feet hanging in the pool.

"Nah, he's not even capable of that. I'm guessing one of them is an ex," he said.

"Both of you shut up! It's none of your business!" I shouted.

"Fine! Whatever, be a prick!" Rose whined. I rolled my eyes again. Sometimes she really does get on my nerves. Ignoring them both, I sat down in one of the lawn chairs, looking up at the sky. I swear I can hear music.

"Do you guys hear that?" I asked quietly, humming along with the tune.

"All I hear is your dumbass humming. Shut up already!" Jasper complained.

"No, shhh, listen," I demanded. I could barely make out the strumming of a guitar. Straining my ears, I recognized the beginning chords of Flogging Molly's song, "If I Ever Leave This World Alive."

"Hey, I hear it now! Where's it coming from?" Rose asked, watching my every move. I walked to the side of the house and peered over the fence, looking out at the cul-de-sac. There, in the middle, were three chairs. One held a big muscley looking guy. The next one had a very small female sitting in it, almost childlike. But I recognized the spiky hair. I gasped, looking at the third chair. I heard the voice before I saw her face. I knew that voice anywhere.

_If I ever leave this world alive  
I'll thank for all the things you did in my life  
If I ever leave this world alive  
I'll come back down and sit beside your  
feet tonight  
Wherever I am you'll always be  
More than just a memory  
If I ever leave this world alive_

I ran around to the other side of the house where the gate was. Not even bothering to open it, I just jumped it and ran to the front yard. Rosalie and Jasper were on my heels. Surprisingly, Rose knows how to jump a fence too. If it wouldn't have been for that voice, I would have been impressed. When I made it to the curb, I held my hand up for Rose and Jasper to stop, signaling for them to keep quiet. Then I heard two voices join in singing.

_If I ever leave this world alive  
I'll take on all the sadness  
That I left behind  
If I ever leave this world alive  
The madness that you feel will soon subside  
So in a word don't shed a tear  
I'll be here when it all gets weird  
If I ever leave this world alive_

So when in doubt just call my name  
Just before you go insane  
If I ever leave this world  
Hey I may never leave this world  
But if I ever leave this world alive

I blinked a couple times to make sure I wasn't dreaming. It really was them. I looked over at the guy, noticing he was playing the guitar instead of _her_. He wasn't singing though. Good, no one should sing with them but me.

"Edward, what's going on?" Rose whispered very quietly from behind me. I just shook my head, slowly and quietly walking towards the three people in the middle of the cul-de-sac as _she_ sang the next verse.

_She says I'm okay; I'm alright,  
Though you have gone from my life  
You said that it would,  
Now everything should be all right_

I closed my eyes and listened to her voice. I've been waiting three years to hear that voice again. I've been haunted by that voice in my dreams for three years. I couldn't stop myself as I walked closer to them and sang the last verse out loud, probably scaring the life out of them.

_She says I'm okay; I'm alright,  
Though you have gone from my life  
You said that it would,  
Now everything should be all right  
Yeah should be alright_

"AAAHHH!" _she _screamed as she heard someone singing behind her. The small, spiky haired one jumped out of her chair, dropping her beer bottle on the ground. It made a loud sound as the glass broke around her feet. The guy next to her grabbed her arm and lifted her effortlessly to the other side of him so she wouldn't step on glass before he took a step towards me.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he asked as the small one grabbed his arm and pushed herself past him, launching herself in my arms.

"Doucheward!" she screamed in my ear. I hugged her tightly, closing my eyes so I wouldn't have to look _her_ in the face.

"Hey Alice," I whispered in her ear. She pulled back from the hug but kept her arms around my neck.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I live right there. What the hell are you doing here?" I asked, pointing to our house behind me.

"We live right there!" she said, pointing at the house directly across the street from ours.

"Since when?"

"We just moved in today!" she squealed.

"Oh yeah, I saw your moving van earlier!" Jasper said as he walked up to the group. Alice took one look at him and was a goner.

"Hi, I'm Alice Brandon," she said shyly. Alice isn't shy. She completely ignored me from that point on. Her and Jasper walked a few feet away and began some random conversation about music.

"Yeah, so you know each other?" the guy asked.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, I'm Edward Cullen. We went to high school together," I told him, shaking his hand. He looked from me to _her_ a few times before speaking.

"This is Edward?" he asked as she shook her head.

"Hey Bells," I said quietly. She stared at me for a moment before shaking her head and turning away, jogging back to her house and slamming the front door behind her.

"Guess she still hates me huh?" I joked with the guy.

"Edward, are you done being rude? Are you gonna introduce me?" Rose asked from behind me. Christ, I forgot she was there.

"Hi, Emmett McCarty. Nice to meet you," he introduced himself to her as I stood there dumbfounded.

"Rosalie Hale, my pleasure," she flirted. Oh fuck, now she's a goner too. There goes my fun buddy. I looked over at Alice and Jasper sitting on the ground, Jasper strumming the guitar Emmett had abandoned. A few feet away were Rose and Emmett flirting with each other, not caring about anyone else. I stood in the middle of that cul-de-sac, wondering how in the hell we all ended up living across the street from each other. Out of all the neighborhoods in LA, we all ended up in this one.

Sighing, I glanced up at Bella and Alice's house, seeing a figure behind the curtain in one of the bedrooms. I knew it was her. I stood there, watching her watching me, a sad smile on my face. For three years, her voice and her face have haunted me. And now that we're in the same state, the same city, the same fucking street, she ran away from me. I really am Doucheward.


	3. Before the Worst

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it took a little bit to get this chapter posted! Like I said before, I just started a new job and it has been crazy busy! I can't wait for the next chapter; Morgan will be writing it. It will probably be a week or two before it's up. Morgan, thank you for your help with this chapter and for agreeing to co-write this with me now! Love you!**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns everything Twilight!**

* * *

EPOV

I stood frozen in my spot, watching Bella watch me from the window. I knew what I had to do. Glancing around me, I saw everyone was preoccupied with someone else. It was the perfect time to make my move. I looked back at Bella through her window, shot her my infamous smirk, and strode toward their front door, never breaking eye contact. Her eyes went wide as she realized what I was doing and moved away from the window. I picked up my pace, jogging to their door, opening it just as Bella tried to stop me.

"I just wanna talk Bells," I told her, sticking my foot between the door and the doorframe so she couldn't close it.

"Go away," she mumbled.

"No, we need to talk Bella. Just give me five minutes, then I'll leave. Promise."

"Yeah, based on past experiences, I tend to not believe your promises. I mean, you broke so many of them," she spat, trying to shut the door even though my foot was still there.

"Ow, shit Bella! My foot!" I yelped.

"Well, go away then and I'll stop!"

"I'm not leaving. But if you won't let me in, I'll say what I have to say now," I said, "I'm sorry Bella. I'm sorry for what happened back in Forks. I'm sorry I hurt you. If I could take it back I would, but I can't. And we're obviously gonna be spending time with each other since our roommates have all split off together. So I wanted to just call a truce and try to be friends. What do you think?"

It was quiet for almost a minute. I peeked my head around the door, Bella just stood there staring at me.

"You're a fucking idiot," she muttered at me, poking me in the eye, making me react on instinct and move back, allowing her to slam the door in my face.

"Shit," I whispered to myself, turning back for the cul-de-sac. Four pairs of eyes were staring at me.

"What?" I asked, stepping off the curb to take Alice's chair she had in the street. No one answered me, just went back to their private conversations. I grabbed the guitar from the ground, feeling at peace with the instrument in my hand. Strumming the chords, I caught movement in Bella's room out of the corner of my eye. I glanced over to see her staring at me. Shaking my head, I began to play an old familiar song. One of my favorites that always made me think of her.

_Oh I had a lot to say was thinking on my time away  
I missed you and things weren't the same  
Cause everything inside it never comes out right  
And when I see you cry it makes me want to die_

I knew she could hear me. I just hoped she could tell what song it was. I kept eye contact with her as Alice and Rose both walked over at the same time to sit by me, taking Emmett's and Bella's chairs. A second later, Jasper and Emmett joined them, sitting on the ground by their feet.

_I'm sorry I'm bad, I'm sorry you're blue, I'm sorry about all the things I said to you  
And I know I can't take it back  
I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds, and baby the way you make my world go round  
And I just wanted to say I'm sorry_

I could hear Alice humming along with the song, surprised she hadn't joined in yet. I thought too soon though because she started singing the next verse with me, Emmett singing quietly with her.

_This time I think I'm to blame it's harder to get through the days  
You get older and blame turns to shame  
Cause everything inside it never comes out right  
And when I see you cry it makes me want to die_

Looking at Bella while I sang broke my heart again. It's been so hard to be without her. Seeing the tears rolling down her face made me turn away. I looked over at Alice with a sad smile as I kept playing the guitar and singing. She smiled back at me and squeezed my knee, knowing I meant the words to this song.

_I'm sorry I'm bad, I'm sorry you're blue, I'm sorry about all the things I said to you  
And I know I can't take it back  
I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds, and baby the way you make my world go round  
And I just wanted to say I'm sorry_

Rose and Jasper finally joined in on the last verse, making me feel a little better. These last few years without Bella and Alice have been hard. But because of my twin friends, it's been a little easier than it would have been on my own. So Rose and I might not always get along, but she's got a good heart. She just hides it under all her bullshit. And Jasper is a good guy, one of the best I've ever known.

_Every single day I think about how we came all this way  
The sleepless nights and the tears you cried it's never too late to make it right  
Oh yeah I'm sorry!_

For some unknown reason, everyone but Alice and I stopped singing after that. Alice and I finished out the song, our voices blending together now just as perfectly as they did back home in Forks.

_I'm sorry I'm bad, I'm sorry you're blue, I'm sorry about all the things I said to you  
And I know I can't take it back  
I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds, and baby the way you make my world go round  
And I just wanted to say I'm sorry_

When the song was over, no one spoke. We all just sat there looking at each other, not too sure of what to say. It felt like old times singing with Alice again. And it felt normal to sing with Rose and Jasper. We do it all the time in our living room. But this Emmett guy I wasn't too sure of. I might not have seen Alice or Bella in a few years but I still felt protective of them, like I always had.

"That was awesome!" Alice cheered, bouncing in her seat. Everyone laughed at her enthusiasm.

"Still the same old Alice," I mumbled, smiling at her.

"And you still love me!" she giggled. I saw Rose and Japer shoot me confused looks.

"Uh, Ali, maybe we should explain to our friends how we know each other," I suggested.

"Sorry, my friend, Emmett here, already knows everything about you. Bell and I spilled the beans one night when we were drunk back in our freshman year at USC. You can explain to your friends how you know me!" she said, making me laugh at her tone of voice while Rose looked like she was about to take offense to it. I figured I'd put a stop to that before it even started.

"Rosalie, first of all, she didn't mean anything by that, so drop the bitchy look. That's just how Alice is. Second, Rose, Jasper, this is Alice Brandon. She's one of the girls in the picture you stole from my dresser Rose and left in the backyard," I started before Alice interrupted me.

"You still keep a picture of us on your dresser? Aw, I feel loved!" she said in mock surprise.

"Shut up Al."

"That's okay, I have a picture of the three of us on my dresser too!"

"Anyways!" I said, looking pointedly at Alice, "Alice and I went to high school together, along with Bella, in Forks. To make a long story short and without any dramatic details, we were best friends all through high school. Bella and I dated junior and senior year. We broke up right before graduation. I went to UW, they went to USC. End of story."

Alice rolled her eyes at my lack of details. I flicked her my middle finger.

"I missed you Assward," she laughed, jumping up to hug me again.

"Assward?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, um, Alice likes to change my name up. You wouldn't believe the names she's come up with by changing the first two letters," I answered.

"Hmm, let's see, there's Assward, Dickward, Slutward, Emoward, and my favorite, Doucheward!" Alice told them all, everyone laughing.

"That's gonna come in handy. Thanks Alice!" Rose said, clapping her hands like a damned idiot. Damn Alice for giving her a new idea.

******************

BPOV

"Izzy, you still awake?" I heard Emmett whisper at my door. I had two options: pretend to be asleep and deal with his questioning tomorrow, or deal with it now. It's not like I'm gonna get any sleep tonight anyway.

"Yeah Em, what is it?" I asked from my bed. He walked in, being very quiet. There wasn't any light coming in from outside my bedroom so I guessed Alice was already in bed. Better to deal with Alice tomorrow.

"Can we talk?" Emmett didn't wait for an answer, just crawled under the covers of my bed to lie next to me. We lay there, on our backs, staring up at the ceiling, neither one of us talking for almost five minutes.

"Em, are you gonna say anything or were you waiting for me to bring it up?"

"I didn't know how to bring it up. Thought maybe you could start!" he said, chuckling lightly.

"Emmett, you know everything there is to know about…_Edward_," I said, struggling to say his name, still numb at seeing him.

"Yeah, I know everything that happened. What I wanna know about is why you ran away when he showed up," he explained.

"It's a long story Emmett. And it's late. Can we talk about this tomorrow? I'll fill you and Alice in at the same time over breakfast okay?"

"Alright, fine. But I'm not getting up. Scoot over and make some room for me!" he laughed, pushing me over with his leg.

******************

EPOV

Lying in bed that night, I was mesmerized by the designs on the ceiling. Actually, I was bored as fuck and couldn't sleep. It'd been a long and weird day. I actually turned Rose down on sex. That alone makes it a weird day for me. Add that together with seeing Bella and Alice for the first time in years. It all equals a crazy ass day in Edward World.

"Eddie?" Rose whispered from the doorway of my bedroom. Fuck. Note to self: buy a deadbolt for my room.

"Go away Rose," I said sternly, not in the mood for sex.

"Eddie, I can't sleep. Can I stay in here with you?" she asked sweetly, standing next to my bed. I gave her a strange look, wondering if she was serious.

"Stop looking at me like that! I'm serious," she whined, waving her hand to get me to scoot over. I moved over to the right, holding the blankets up for her to get under.

"You don't want to have sex?" I questioned, letting her curl up to me on my left side, her head on my chest.

"Not tonight. I'm tired, just can't sleep. And I've always slept better with you than without you! So shut the fuck up and go to sleep!" she laughingly joked, getting quiet after that.

Not even five minutes later I could hear her deep even breathing, letting me know she was asleep. Now see, that's the Rose I know. And preferred.

She was a spitfire. Plain and simple. She told you how it was and could give two shits less if you turned your nose up and walked the other way. But underneath her facade of pure bitch, there was an absolute beautiful human being; one that could be a most loyal friend or one that could break every ounce of soul within oneself. Me personally? I would choose the former.

But like I said, that's the Rose I know and like.

******************

Three hours later I was still fakely mesmerized by the designs in the ceiling. Rose was turned away from me now, lightly snoring, no longer lying on my arm. The house was silent; I could hear Jasper's loud, obnoxious snores coming from his room down the hall.

Tonight did not go how I wished it would have. It had been three years since I had seen Bella. In those three years I had imagined seeing her again, and it never went how it did tonight. I figured she would hold a grudge; that's how Bella is. I just never expected her grudge to be this bad.

In the middle of my Bella thoughts I could hear a guitar playing outside. I knew that song. It was the tune to The Script's "Before the Worst." Anytime Alice, Bella, and I would play guitar and sing back home, Bella would always play this song.

I quietly crawled out of bed, grabbing the shirt I was wearing earlier from the floor, and heading for the front door. Maybe this was my chance to make everything okay between Bella and I. I doubt she'll ever really trust me again. But maybe we could be friends.

I walked toward the street, Bella sitting on the ground in the middle of the cul-de-sac. And just like she used to, she played the entire song without words first. I walked up to her, towering over her.

"This ground taken?" I asked quietly. She didn't speak, just shrugged her shoulders as I took a seat next to her. She played perfectly while I began the first verse, like we always did.

_It's been a while since the two of us talked  
About a week since the day you walked  
Knowing things would never be the same  
With your empty heart and mine full of pain  
So explain to me, how it came to this  
Take it back to the night we kissed  
It was Dublin city on a Friday night  
You were vodkas and coke, I was Guinness all night_

I watched her hands play as she joined me on the next part before moving on to the first chorus.

_We were sitting with our backs against the world  
Saying things that we thought but never heard  
Who would have thought it would end up like this?  
Where everything we talked about is gone  
And the only chance we have of moving on  
Is try to take it back  
Before it all went wrong_

_Before the worst, before we mend  
Before our hearts decide  
It's time to love again  
Before too late, before too long  
Lets try to take it back  
Before it all went wrong_

God I've missed this. Just like with Alice and I, mine and Bella's voices blended together just as well as they did three years ago. Bella took the next verse alone.

_There was a time, that we'd stay up all night  
Best friends talking till the daylight  
Took the joys alongside the pain  
With not much to loose, but so much to gain  
Are hearing me? Cause I don't wanna miss,  
Set you a drift on memory bliss  
It was Grafton Street on a rainy night  
I was down on one knee and you where mine for life_

We we're thinking we would never be apart  
With your name tattooed across my heart  
Who would have thought it would end up like this?  
Where everything we talked about is gone  
And the only chance we have of moving on  
Is try to take it back  
Before it all went wrong

I think for the first time I finally understood this song. I wish we could go back to before the worst for us. Before senior year. Before I listened to my father for the first time. Before I ruined my life. Before I lost Bella.

I joined her on the next chorus before taking the part after that alone, wanting to cry with every word that came from my lips.

_Before the worst, before we mend  
Before our hearts decide  
It's time to love again  
Before too late, before too long  
Lets try to take it back  
Before it all went wrong_

If the clouds don't clear  
Then well rise above it, well rise above it  
Heavens gate is so near  
Come walk with me through  
Just like we use to, just like we use to

Lets take it back  
Before it all went wrong

We then sang the last chorus together.

_Before the worst, before we mend  
Before our hearts decide  
It's time to love again  
Before too late, before too long  
Lets try to take it back  
Before it all went wrong_

Singing the last words, I looked up at Bella to find her smiling a small sad smile. I mimicked it. Rolling her eyes, she stood up, turning for her house. I reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could walk away.

"Bella….I….um…" I choked out, not sure what to say. She just shook her head at me.

"It doesn't matter Edward. This doesn't change anything," she whispered, walking away from me for the second time that night.


End file.
